Coronavirus explainer: Why sneezing is a more common symptom in the fully vaccinated

With new Omicron variants spreading the COVID-19 infection, the high vaccination numbers are definitely helping in reducing the seriousness of the illness, however, people can still get infected and are mostly exhibiting symptoms similar to those of allergies.

The ZOE Health Study, which obtained pandemic-related insights from millions of users to its app in the UK, found that people who had been vaccinated and then tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to report sneezing as a coronavirus symptom, compared with those without a jab.

Sneezing was once considered a rarer symptom of COVID-19 and now it ranks among the most common symptoms. The ZOE team advises that if you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without any reason, you should get tested for COVID-19.

Despite sneezing and other symptoms, the Zoe team found that fewer symptoms were reported over a shorter period of time by those who had already had a jab, suggesting less serious illness and faster recovery. So, it is important to get vaccinated, even if it does not guarantee a 100 percent protection from coronavirus.

Apart from sneezing, other top four reported symptoms after two jabs are runny nose, headache, sore throat and persistent cough. You should take rest, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet if you experience any of these symptoms. Get tested for COVID-19 and consult your doctor for the necessary treatment.

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In most cases, the virus enters through the nose. Now, in the unvaccinated, people have relatively few defensive cells that can recognize the new pathogen. This unchecked virus can then infiltrate deep into the body and can cause fever and severe inflammation in the lungs.

However, if you are vaccinated, then your immune defenses are ready to detect the virus and blockade it in the nose before it spreads to the rest of the body. This is why the symptoms are more like allergies than typical COVID-19 signs.

The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases at present is largely due to Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. These were first spotted by scientists in South Africa in April and now have been detected in several countries worldwide.

The BA.4 and BA.5 sub variants are on a global rise because they can spread faster than other circulating variants such as BA.2. This variant is good at immune escape and is leading to an increase in reinfections in spite of vaccination and natural immunity from previous infections.

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Vaccination is vital to protect yourself and those around you from the life-threatening virus and reduce the severity of this disease. All the available coronavirus vaccines are good at protecting against severe COVID-19 infections, but they are not 100 percent effective in preventing the infection.

Fully vaccinated people with weak immunity due to various medical conditions like cancer or those who fail to follow appropriate preventive measures are at the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection.

Omicron generally causes milder illness than the delta version of the coronavirus. Still, according to the World Health Organisation, Omicron can affect every part of your body and may cause severe diseases like heart attack and nerve damage. In terms of long COVID, the WHO says it hasn’t seen any research indicating that the portion of COVID-19 survivors who get long COVID will change with the omicron variant.